ThePortForum.com

I am sure you will all be excited by this industry standard list for best Ports for Xmas 2022.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/win ... best-port/

Please make sure you scroll down for the scores. It is fairly evident that James Suckling was not involved in the scoring!

Is this some weird "less is more"-type scale? 80/100 for a 20yo, 77/100 for a Bomfim single quinta VP...but 84 for some run of the mill tawny, and 86 for a ruby reserve (hey, it's organic!).

Crazy.

Not at all suspicious that all of the Ports mentioned (except for the Kopke) appear to be BOB.

Glenn E. wrote: ↑06:33 Tue 08 Nov 2022 Not at all suspicious that all of the Ports mentioned (except for the Kopke) appear to be BOB.

It’s particularly odd because Daylesford Organics is an ultra-expensive glorified garden centre which I think started off life as a hobby project for Lord & Lady Bamford who run the digger company JCB. I’ve been dragged round it a few times and been quite amazed that people spend any money there!

The second choice, Paxton & Whitfield, is a very old-fashioned (and very old!) posh cheesemongers in St James’: the cheese equivalent of Berry Bros. It wouldn’t surprise me if their BoB Port is quite good since I imagine their clientele would appreciate that sort of thing.

So yes, whilst BoB Ports, they aren’t quite in the category of being in every supermarket in the country which makes it even odder!

MigSU wrote: ↑01:06 Tue 08 Nov 2022 Is this some weird "less is more"-type scale? 80/100 for a 20yo, 77/100 for a Bomfim single quinta VP...but 84 for some run of the mill tawny, and 86 for a ruby reserve (hey, it's organic!).

The scoring does seem to be utterly bizarre, especially since their "worthy of a special occasion" comment was for one of the lowest-scored ports? (the only way I could potentially make sense of the scoring would be with a heavy value-for-money weighting, substantially valuing lower cost; personally I'd prefer that (a) they didn't do that, or (b) at least say that's what you're doing, if you do). That said, if you ignore the scores then the comments seem reasonable as simple reviews of basic rubys and tawny/10yr, perhaps aimed at those who don't drink port often and it might persuade them to try, with a range of different flavour profiles described. If it encourages more people to try/drink port, then all to the good.